Damian Lillard Says He, LaMarcus Aldridge Would Have Won NBA Title With Portland

Damian Lillard, now back with the Portland Trail Blazers, believes that during his early years with LaMarcus Aldridge, they had a championship-caliber team that was hindered mainly by injuries and inexperience. He reflected that their second and third years showed promise, but major injuries derailed what could have been a title run, with their fourth year potentially being their strongest. Lillard highlighted the contributions of teammates like Will Barton and CJ McCollum, emphasizing that the team had all the pieces to compete at a high level in the tough Western Conference. Despite their potential, internal team dynamics and rumors contributed to Aldridge's departure to the Spurs in 2015, which Lillard found surprising since he was unaware of any conflict. Aldridge retired in 2023 after a successful career, while Lillard’s recent return to Portland, following a stint with Milwaukee where he won the NBA Cup, marks a new chapter as he recovers from an Achilles injury. Their early duo remains a notable "what if" in NBA history, with Lillard confident that they could have won a championship if circumstances had been different.